Discovery Bay sets user fees for new Community Center

DISCOVERY BAY -- The town's Community Services District has set new monthly user fee rates for the next three months at the former Discovery Bay Athletic Club, which it recently purchased.

The fee schedule is yet another complication the CSD has run into since deciding to keep the center open. Under the new fees, Discovery Bay will charge $35 per month for teens, $45 for a single person, $65 per couple and $75 for a family for use of the Discovery Bay Community Center, board members unanimously decided Wednesday. User fees include access to the exercise equipment, tennis courts, and swimming pool.

The Discovery Bay district bought the building last month as part of 7.4-acre land purchase to create a long-sought community center. The board agreed to keep the fitness center running in its existing capacity until June 30, putting up to $60,000 toward covering operational costs. It also offered free access in February, so all residents could see the center.

But on March 1, town staff ran into a dilemma, quickly finding that the 250 former club members were on several payment tiers.

Several residents spoke in opposition to the new rates at Wednesday's meeting, saying they were higher than what they used to pay. A few at the meeting said the new rates were actually less than they had previously paid.

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Some also said they had already paid long-term contracts with the former club.

Those payments could not be reimbursed by the town, as they would be considered a gift of public funds, district legal counsel Dan Schroeder said.

The town has been denied access to the club's previous records, board member Kevin Graves said.

"We're trying to do the best we can with what was handed to us," he said.